Greenhill Fireclay works, Clayknowes, Bonnybridge – Alexander and John Scott owned the farm and brickworks at Clayknowes and Cadgersgate according to the valuation roll of 1865, Slater’s Directory of 1867, refers to the Greenhill Fireclay works being worked by Scott & Walker. The brickworks is not shown on the maps of 1854, so it probably started about 1860. The Greenhill Fireclay Company had passed into the hands of the partners, William Brown and Thomas Brownlee of Glasgow and George Caddell Bruce of Edinburgh by 1875. Brownlee and Bruce still owned it in 1880, but by 1895 when it was owned by James and William Wood, the brickworks was in ruins. The site was used by several explosive manufacturers before and during the First World War and suffered several accidental explosions. No more bricks were made on this site, although a Greenhill Fireclay Company was incorporated in October 1920, with James Ferguson, Managing Director of Lane & Girvan, the Bonnybridge iron founders, one of the principal shareholders. This company was liquidated in 1922, when Ferguson took an interest in the re-structured Glenyards Fireclay Company at Greenhill Railway junction, as a Director of James Anderson & Co. Ltd. Source – Kenneth Sanderson.

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1860 – Brickworks started?

01/12/1864 – Falkirk Herald – To Brickmakers – Wanted, a good hand at brick making; likewise a can maker. Liberal wages will be given – apply at Greenhill Brickworks by Denny

15/11/1866 – Falkirk Herald – Strayed from the Greenhill Fire Clay Works, Denny – a brown retriever dog answering to the name ‘Sailo’. The finder will be rewarded on returning it to the Works, and if found in possession of anyone after this intimation they will be prosecuted.

19/01/1869 – Perthshire Courier – Creditors of David Henderson Roberts, brick and tile maker, Greenhill Fire Clay Works in the parish of Falkirk and county of Stirling meet in the office of McFarlane and Hutton, 165 West George Street, Glasgow 9th February at 12 o’clock.

1869 – Thomas Brownlie plus two others (William Broom or Brown?) formed the Greenhill Fireclay Company by acquiring a property known as Clay Knowes near Greenhill Junction.

Kenneth Sanderson states – William Brown and Thomas Brownlee of Glasgow and George Caddell Bruce of Edinburgh formed the Greenhill Fireclay Company but it could have been William Broom not Brown as evidenced in this advert (Below – 1878 – reference to Clayknows in Slaters Advertiser for Denny Stirlingshire but also note the reference to Glasgow. )

01/09/1870 – Falkirk Herald – Contractors wanted for carting fireclay goods from Greenhill Fireclay Works on the lands of Clayknowes to Greenhill Railway Station. Also coals from said Station to Works. Contractors to state price per ton for coals and per 1000 bricks. Full particulars will be given on application to James Affleck, Clayknowes by Denny.

Below – 01/04/1880 – Falkirk Herald – Sale of farm land at Clayknowes as owned by the Greenhill Fireclay Company.

11/04/1881 – Aberdeen Press and Journal – City of Glasgow Bank shareholders – A meeting of the creditors of Thomas Brownlie, coal and quarrymaster in Glasgow, a partner of the Heatherknowe Coal Company, The Blochairn Quarry Company, the Greenhill Fire Clay Company and the City of Glasgow Bank was held at the Faculty Hall, Glasgow on Friday afternoon. It was stated that the bankruptcy had been caused by the depression of trade produced by the failure of the City of Glasgow bank and by the difficulty in realising trade assets………

Found at Drum Farm, High Bonnybridge Note the reversed ‘R’, the missing ‘E’, the upside down ‘L’ and the missing ‘L’ This brick was likely made by the Greenhill Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. Believed to be sited at Clayknowes and later taken over and renamed the Greenhill Fireclay Company. . . .

Broom, Brownlee and Bruce, Greenhill, Falkirk are listed as the makers of Claynows bricks by Falkirk Museums and Archives and they may well be correct however I suspect there will be a connection to the details noted below . 1841 – 1842 – Paterson, Alex, manager, Clayknowes brickworks, ho. 486 Gallowgate and Johnston, John, proprietor of Clayknowes…

This fireclay household fire back was found at a house built between 1897 – 1900 at Kirkintilloch, Glasgow. Kindly donated by Margo Cross and her brother. Patent 16F Anderson Bonnybridge – INLO Believed to be a product of the Glenyards Fireclay Company Ltd, Greenhill, Bonnybridge. Glenyards Brickworks ( name prior to being known as Glenyards Fireclay Company…

Found at near Drum Farm, Bonnybridge Yet another badly stamped variation with the ‘G’ reversed, the ‘R’ upside down, the ‘N’ missing. This brick was likely made by the Greenhill Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. Believed to be sited at Clayknowes and later taken over and renamed the Greenhill Fireclay Company. . . .

Found at near Drum Farm, Bonnybridge Yet another badly stamped variation with the ‘G’ upside down, ‘R’ and ‘N’ reversed and an ‘L’ missing and an ‘L’ upturned. This brick was likely made by the Greenhill Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. Believed to be sited at Clayknowes and later taken over and renamed the Greenhill Fireclay Company. . . .

Found at near Drum Farm, Bonnybridge Yet another badly stamped variation with the ‘G’ upside down, ‘R’ reversed and an ‘I’ and ‘L’ missing and an ‘L’ upturned. This brick was likely made by the Greenhill Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. Believed to be sited at Clayknowes and later taken over and renamed the Greenhill Fireclay Company. . . .

Found In Glasgow by Eddie McLean. Clayknowes Brickworks, Greenhill, Bonnybridge. or Clayknowes Pottery and Brickworks, Gallowgate, Glasgow This particular brick was found in Glasgow so may have been made at Gallowgate as opposed to Bonnybridge. As it happens the font of the lettering is different to the ones I have found in and about Bonnybridge….

Found at the old Clayknows brickworks, Bonnybridge This brick was likely made by the Greenhill Fireclay Works, Bonnybridge. Believed to be sited at Clayknowes and later taken over and renamed the Greenhill Fireclay Company.. . . . .

Found in fly tipping at Stein Manuel Works, Whitecross Unknown maker. Find location would suggest Scottish origins but. Found alongside a Garnkirk and Inverkeithing F & S brick – all very old. Could it read Clayknowes as in Clayknowes Brickworks, Greenhill, Bonnybridge. or Clayknowes Pottery and Brickworks, Gallowgate, Glasgow. There is also a middle line…